So Garren_Windspear is starting up a play-by-post campaign called The Fall of Amarath which is going to be ran here on NGA. I'm building a sword and board fighter for the campaign but I've not really played much Pathfinder and what I have has all been lower than about level five so I dont have much experience in the ways of getting the best bang for my buck at higher levels. Any thoughts and tips would certainly be appreciated.
I know that I want to use a scimitar, a spiked light shield, and as much armor as I can get my hands on. I'll be the front line fighter of the group, and more focused on soaking up blows and shutting enemies down rather than simply doing as much damage as possible. As you can see from my feat build I'll be doing a lot of shield slamming and bullrushing, so keep that sort of style in mind.
Armor Training 2 Reduce Armor Penalty By 2 // Increase Max Dex By 2 Move full speed while wearing Medium or Heavy armor
Weapon Training +2 Attack and Damage with Close Weapons +1 Attack and Damage with Light Blades
Feat Information
Feat Breakdown L1 : Power Attack F1 : Two Weapon Fighting H1 : Improved Shield Bash F2 : Weapon Focus : Spiked Heavy Shield L3 : Iron Will F3 : Step Up L5 : Combat Reflexes F4 : Improved Two-Two Weapon Fighting L7 : Shield Slam F5 : Improved Bull Rush L9 : Greater Bull Rush
Feat Bonuses Power Attack You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Two-Weapon Fighting Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6.
Improved Shield Bash When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's shield bonus to your AC.
Weapon Focus [Spiked Heavy Shield] You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Iron Will You gain +2 on Will saving throws.
Step Up Whenever an adjacent foe attempts to take a 5-foot step away from you, you may also make a 5-foot step as an immediate action so long as you end up adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. If you take this step, you cannot take a 5-foot step during your next turn. If you take an action to move during your next turn, subtract 5 feet from your total movement.
Combat Reflexes You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed.
Improved Two-Two Weapon Fighting In addition to the standard single extra attack you get with an off-hand weapon, you get a second attack with it, albeit at a –5 penalty.
Shield Slam Any opponents hit by your shield bash are also hit with a free bull rush attack, substituting your attack roll for the combat maneuver check (see Combat). This bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Opponents who cannot move back due to a wall or other surface are knocked prone after moving the maximum possible distance. You may choose to move with your target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or to spend an action to move this turn.
Improved Bull Rush You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a bull rush combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you.
Greater Bull Rush You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Bull Rush. Whenever you bull rush an opponent, his movement provokes attacks of opportunity from all of your allies (but not you).
Attack Workspace
Standard Attack : Main Hand Shield Bash +9 Base Attack Bonus +4 Strength Modifier +2 Weapon Training +1 Weapon Focus +1 Bashing Ability -6 Dual Wielding +2 TWF Feat Total : +13
High BAB Extra Attack : Main Hand Shield Bash +4 Base Attack Bonus +4 Strength Modifier +2 Weapon Training +1 Weapon Focus +1 Bashing Ability -6 Dual Wielding +2 TWF Feat Total : +8
Standard Attack : Off Hand +9 Base Attack Bonus +4 Strength Modifier +1 Weapon Training +1 Masterwork -10 Dual Wielding +6 TWF Feat Total : +11
ITWF Extra Attack : Off Hand +9 Base Attack Bonus +4 Strength Modifier +1 Weapon Training +1 Masterwork -10 Dual Wielding +6 TWF Feat -5 Second Attack Total : +6
Damage Workspace
Standard Attack : Main Hand 1d6 Weapon Damage +4 Strength Modifier +2 Weapon Training +1 Bashing Total : 1d6+7
Crit 20x2
Standard Attack : Off Hand 1d4 Weapon Damage +2 Strength Modifier +1 Weapon Training Total : 1d4+3
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Joined: Oct 30, 2013 Posts: 7305 Location: England
Well I suppose I'm duty-bound to help a player out here.
46,000gp
300gp - Make your Spiked Shield and Full Plate Masterwork (-1 armour check penalty) 4000gp - Full Plate +2 (+2 enhancement to armour bonus to AC) 4000gp - Spiked Shield, Light +2 (+2 enhancement to shield bonus to AC) 4000gp - Amulet of Natural Armour +2 (+2 natural bonus to AC) 8000gp - Ring of Protection +2 (+2 deflection bonus to AC) 5000gp - Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 insight bonus to AC) 9000gp - Cloak of Resistance +3 (+3 bonus to Fortitude, Reflex and Will saving throws) 8300gp - +1 Defending Scimitar (+1 attack/damage bonus, can lose bonus to gain +1 AC) 3400gp left to spend.
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Nothing fancy but it gives you a +10 bonus to AC that all stacks with each other. I am interested on why your going with a light spiked shield however. I assume it's because it's a light weapon for the purposes of Two-Weapon Fighting? In that case why not wield a heavy spiked shield in your main hand and a light weapon in your off-hand? You'd get an extra point of AC out of the deal and still deal as much damage as your scimitar at any rate. Could go the extra mile and trade the 'defending' trait on the Scimitar for the 'Bashing' trait to raise damage of a heavy shield to 1d8 when used to bash. If your interested in that option give us a shout and I can re-spec the equipment list to work it all out.
...or you could go even sillier and dual-wield shields.
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Welcome! I'm Garren and I'll be your designated villain for the evening.
Well like I said I've not had the joy of getting very high up in levels with Pathfinder so I was essentially taking a concept I've used at lower levels and building it up rather than taking a goal at higher levels and building towards it. I was using the light shield for the two weapon fighting deal yeah, but had not considered heavy in the main hand and weapon in the offhand. I've never had a shield in the main hand and would have to browse through the rules more to get used to it.
I'll pull up the SRD and stuff again and start looking. But lets say we went Heavy Spiked shield in the main hand how much juggling around of feats and such would need to be done? Obviously I'd swap the fighter class bonuses around to get the extra point to close weapons. What else?
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Joined: Oct 30, 2013 Posts: 7305 Location: England
Feat wise your probably have to drop Weapon Focus (Scimitar) since Scimitars aren't light weapons. You'd also swap your 'Weapon Training' fighter bonus around so that close gets the +2 bonus and whatever you settle on as a light weapon gets the +1. That's all you'd really have to do.
Edit: For the record Weapon Focus (Heavy Shield) is a thing that exists.
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Welcome! I'm Garren and I'll be your designated villain for the evening.
Yeah, I figured I'd swap around the Weapon Focus, and as mentioned above swap the Weapon Training ability. I just didnt know off the bad if there were any other 'shieldy' type feats I'd be wanting to go for in place of the weapon focus.
I'm going to make a few of those quick changes before bed, but I cant stay up too much longer tonight. Big test in the morning.
Appreciate the help so far for sure though! Thanks.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Hrmmmm. Heavy Shield main hand with a Kukri offhand?
Making adjustments to sheet and notes to see how it goes.
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Adjustments have been made to get the Shield in the main hand with a Kurki offhand.
Trades having 1d6/18-20x2 main with a 1d4/x2 offhand for a 1d6 x2 main with a 1d6/18-20x2 offhand. Gains +1 AC but takes -1 ACP.
Also have to look at how having the shield in the main hand effects my bullrushing. In what order do the attacks land considering that I get two with the main hand and two with the offhand?
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Also have to look at how having the shield in the main hand effects my bullrushing. In what order do the attacks land considering that I get two with the main hand and two with the offhand?
1) Having a shield in the main hand basically does nothing to effect your bull rushing. It works as though you had any weapon on your hand.
2) From what I can tell there isn't any official ruling on what order your attacks have to be taken - most go with the 'highest BAB through lowest BAB' for the sake of simplicity but I honestly couldn't care too much what order you chose you resolve them so long as it's obvious which attack is which.
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Welcome! I'm Garren and I'll be your designated villain for the evening.
46,000gp 300gp - Make your Spiked Shield and Full Plate Masterwork (-1 armour check penalty) 4000gp - Full Plate +2 (+2 enhancement to armour bonus to AC) 4000gp - Spiked Shield, Light +2 (+2 enhancement to shield bonus to AC) 4000gp - Amulet of Natural Armour +2 (+2 natural bonus to AC) 8000gp - Ring of Protection +2 (+2 deflection bonus to AC) 5000gp - Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 insight bonus to AC) 9000gp - Cloak of Resistance +3 (+3 bonus to Fortitude, Reflex and Will saving throws) 8300gp - +1 Defending Scimitar (+1 attack/damage bonus, can lose bonus to gain +1 AC) 3400gp left to spend.
With the swap. Most of this seems to still hold up...at least at a glance.
The Defending Scimitar of course would be gone but it could always be applied to the new off hand. Or I could just look at a different option.
Hmmm.
Gonna start plugging the most obvious things into the sheet, would like the character done and ready for the boon this weekend.
Feel free to discuss more, but definitely wanna say thanks for the help so far.
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
Start 46,000gp 300gp - Masterwork Kukri (+1 attack) 300gp - Make your Spiked Shield and Full Plate Masterwork (-1 armour check penalty) 4000gp - Full Plate +2 (+2 enhancement to armour bonus to AC) 4000gp - Spiked Shield, Light +2 (+2 enhancement to shield bonus to AC) 5000gp - Bashing Heavy Shield 4000gp - Amulet of Natural Armour +2 (+2 natural bonus to AC) 8000gp - Ring of Protection +2 (+2 deflection bonus to AC) 9000gp - Cloak of Resistance +3 (+3 bonus to Fortitude, Reflex and Will saving throws) 11400gp left to spend
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"Life is like a Dungeon Master, if it smiles at you something terrible is probably about to happen."
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